Giving and receiving written feedback on documents
For anyone who reviews colleagues' documents or has their own drafts reviewed: letters, policies, proposals, web pages and reports. No prerequisites, though you should be comfortable editing in Microsoft Word. You'll choose between a comment and a tracked change, write comments that are specific, actionable and prioritised, use Word's Track Changes, markup views, Reviewing Pane and modern comments to make sure nothing is missed, respond to feedback you receive (including disagreeing well), and remove comments, tracked changes and hidden data before a document leaves the team. Grounded in Microsoft Support documentation for Word and the GOV.UK content and publishing guidance on review and 'second pair of eyes', used as a public example of a review routine. Your organisation's style guide and sign-off rules come first. Ends with a supervisor-graded review of a short document.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 75 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Choose between a comment and a tracked change for each piece of feedback on a document
- Write review comments that are specific and actionable, say why, and prioritise what must change
- Use Word's Track Changes, markup views and Reviewing Pane to review and resolve every change and comment
- Respond to feedback you receive by deciding, replying to and resolving each comment
- Remove comments, tracked changes and hidden data before a document leaves the team
Course outline
- 1.Choose between a comment and a tracked changeLesson · 12 min
- 2.Write review comments that are specific, actionable and prioritisedLesson · 15 min
- 3.Use Word's Track Changes, markup views and Reviewing PaneLesson · 16 min
- 4.Respond to feedback you receiveLesson · 12 min
- 5.Remove comments, tracked changes and hidden data before a document leaves the teamLesson · 10 min
- 6.Giving and receiving written feedback on documents: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Giving and receiving written feedback on documents: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Microsoft Support: Track changes in Word
- Microsoft Support: Using modern comments in Word
- Microsoft Support: Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks
- GOV.UK content and publishing guidance: Review standard content types (UK public-sector example)
- GOV.UK content and publishing guidance: Send standard content types for review (UK public-sector example)
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.